This invention relates to wireless locating and tracking systems, and more particularly to locating and tracking physical assets or personnel, and taking inventory with radio frequency (RF) tags and radio frequency identification and radio frequency data communication (RFID/RFDC) devices.
There are existing systems that locate and track assets via triangulation techniques. An exemplary system may use radio beacons attached to the assets and at least three receivers placed at known locations. By measuring the time delay in the received signals at each receiver, the asset can be mapped to a location. This type of system typically has a low level of resolution and accuracy. The resolution and accuracy depend upon the ability to measure extremely small time delays and synchronize each receiver to a common clock. Multi-path fading effects and other types of interferences also introduce errors into this type of system. This setup tends to be costly in relatively small sites where at least three receivers need to be used and can become very expensive in large sites when more receivers need to be added.
In the past, RF tags have been used in a limited capacity to track the location of assets. For example, RF tags have been mounted on crates or pallets used in storage facilities. RF readers may be located at certain points such as at the exits or entrances of the storage facilities and may read the RF tags on the pallet and send the RF tag's identification to a central computer. The central computer may determine the contents of the contents of the pallet or determine if the pallet is ready for shipment by comparing the identification with an electronic manifest. This system, however, does not provide the ability to track assets within storage facilities and does not provide total asset visibility. Similar systems are in use with electronic article surveillance systems to prevent retail theft.
RF tags are optimally interrogated when an antenna associated with the RF tag is parallel to the reader antenna. Nevertheless, many applications require that the tag be read in any orientation with respect to the reader antenna. Prior systems have used more than one antenna in the reader such that each antenna is aligned orthogonally with respect to the other antennas, which creates more of an omni-directional type coverage. This approach may be impractical due to ergonomics, space, and size constraints. Therefore, there exists a need to make RF tags' antennas provide omni-directional coverage.
Another type of system that has been used to track the location of assets, particularly in warehouses, uses bar code technology. Employees use hand-held laser radio terminals, which communicate with a host computer, to scan assets at different stages within a warehouse. This system, however, provides a limited tracking resolution and is prone to human error.
It is therefore an object of the invention to track the location of assets with a greater degree of resolution.
It is further an object of the invention to track the location of assets with a user-selectable resolution.
It is further an object of the invention to poll asset inventory in order to obtain total asset visibility.
It is also an object of the invention to provide RF tags with omni-directional coverage.